ESPN Faces Double Standard Backlash For Keeping Shannon Sharpe But Firing Paul Pierce

Shannon Sharpe’s accidental Instagram Live session that caught him at an intimate moment is still the talk of the town, especially with theories that this was no accident. Regardless, all of that fell under the rug once ESPN announced that they would not punish him for this incident. This raised a lot of eyebrows since the organization fired Paul Pierce in 2021 for going on IG Live with scantily clad women and what appeared to be marijuana. Some social media users think that this is a clear case of double standards, whereas others think that intent versus accident is a key differentiating factor. Wherever you stand, check out more diverse reactions in the post below.

Furthermore, a lot of other pop culture figures are speaking on this whole Shannon Sharpe incident, including some recent advice from Kai Cenat. “Hey, Shannon, stop being so freaky, bro,” the streamer said during Sharpe’s “roast” on the Nightcap podcast alongside Ochocinco, Snoop Dogg, Cam Newton, and more. “Next time, put your phone all the way in the next room, alright? Before you get that p***y, bro, put the phone in the next room, okay?”

“I’m very disappointed in myself I let a lot of people down,” Shannon Sharpe said of the incident, positing that it was unintentional and speaking on his embarrassment. “My kids, I reached out to them. I called my sister, my friends obviously reached out. […] I came in, threw my phone on the bed. And then engaged in an activity. […] I don’t know how [Instagram Live] works,” he added, explaining that this is the first time that he’s ever gone Live.

Amid the many reactions to Shannon Sharpe’s incident, Rick Ross‘ roast was among the funniest. “Ayo, Shannon Sharpe,” he teased. “We forgive you ’cause we know you old n***as don’t know how to work that technology. You was vibing with your little shone last night. You were trying to film it and when you tried to sit that motherf***er down on that little dresser, that motherf***er went live.” We’ll see what other jokes, developments, and debates emerge concerning this situation and ESPN‘s controversial response.